I saw this idea on another blog, and thought that since I’m so negligent of keeping my own list, I’d try to post for you all what books I read through the year (on this one page) and whether I recommend them. As a matter of fact I have just catalogued all the books in my room like Gretchen and Natalie and YLCF blogged about, and I have over 300 (and a few duplicates to give away!).

The Shaping of Things to Come (a perspective on how the Church could react to the changing culture; definitely can’t endorse all of it; thought-provoking)

The Light of Eidon by Karen Hancock (an enthralling – do you know that word means “enslaving”? – fantasy; mature scenes, violent, theological; the first of a trilogy)July:

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (one of her later books, some familiar characters, but developed into less extreme versions than the other books. To be honest, I didn’t like this one nearly as much as her other books, but I did find myself relating to some of the conflicts in the story.)

Present Concerns by C.S. Lewis (a collection of many short, easy to read essays written by C.S. Lewis for newspapers and magazines and forwards of books, dealing with politics, philosophy, and issues of the day.)

Basic Essentials: Weather Forecasting by Michael Hodgson (an easy to understand crash course in predicting the next 48 hours’ weather without all the doppler and satellites and other technology. Using cloud observations, wind velocity, and barometric changes, you can get a feel for what is going to happen in the weather. I’m especially fascinated to know what the different clouds mean, and to discover that there are logical reasons connecting how they look, where they are, and what they do.)

At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald (a Christian classic, so I’m told, which influenced both J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. The story of Diamond, a young boy who learns about faith through his friendship with Lady North Wind.)August:

Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (a friend told me this was the best book of the Anne of Green Gables series. I’m not sure, since I read most of the Anne books long ago. The setting is Prince Edward Island during World War I, and in the respect that it revealed what life was like during those oft-overlooked days of history, I greatly appreciated this tale. It is also a nice story, filled with deep characters, as anyone who has read L.M. Montgomery might expect.)

Journey of the Heart by Jeannie Castleberry (The tale of a girl about my age dealing with feeling left behind by older siblings and friends who have husbands while she doesn’t. Through a lot of guidance from practically perfect parents, she learns about her relationship with God and her family, and about not settling for a man about whom God has not given you peace. I have to say that this story is not the best writing I’ve ever read; sometimes it reads like a bullet-point list of what it means to be committed to courtship.)

Epicenter by Joel Rosenberg (A hard-to-classify book explaining the Ezekiel prophecy, world events, and opinions of experts and world leaders that led Joel Rosenberg to write a series of novels recognized as prophetic. I appreciated the grasp he has on worldwide trends, and his emphasis on taking the Bible as a guide even for real-life decisions like drilling for oil in Israel or taking Bibles to the Middle East.)

The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers (a metaphor-charged story of a little girl who, burdened by guilt, turns her village upsidedown looking for someone who, instead of eating her sins once she died, could relieve her of her sins right now. I don’t agree with all of the theology, and the village people seemed to have more than their fair share of horrible sins, but the story was really good and well written.)

September:Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney (a short book reminding me of the gravity of the gospel and the grace remembered when you focus on the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross while we were yet sinners.)

I, Isaac Take Thee, Rebekah by Ravi Zacharias (originally I thought this was a book for married people, but since I am preparing a Sunday school lesson series on the Church as the Bride of Christ I decided to read it. That is not the topic of this book. Ravi writes this application of the story of Isaac and Rebekah in Genesis to teach young people to prepare for or be diligent to work on their marriage. A theme is the will behind marriage. One of the most memorable illustrations is that of Ravi’s own brother who with his parents and aunt arranged his own marriage.)

Waking Rose by Regina Doman (the third in a series of modern retellings of fairy tales. Based on Sleeping Beauty, experience an exciting tale about waiting for love, about redemption, heroes, and the sanctity of life. With ample references to literature, and a Christian worldview, this approximately 300 page-book with a beautiful cover is a great read. I only need to mention that whereas her prior books were not distractingly Catholic, this book has more Catholic references: Mary, praying the rosary, etc.)

Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis (Another great CS Lewis collection of essays. This book has the seeds of most of the ideas you find cunningly presented in his novel. The first one – Weight of Glory, and the last two – Slip of the Tongue and Membership are my favorite, covering the more Christian and less philosophical topics. A good book for underlining.)

Pearl of Beauty compiled by Natalie Nyquist (I read this in one day. It is a collection of classic tales similar to Aesop’s fables in that there is a moral – for young women – to every story. Louisa May Alcott and George MacDonald are both represented. I’d recommend this book, not only because the stories are enchanting, but also because of the study/discussion questions Natalie included. I think it’s a great resource for raising or mentoring young ladies.)

Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings by Charles H. Hapgood (Focuses on the Piri Re’is map discovered in 1929, but compiled in 1513 by a Turkish sailor. Through a discussion of comparative geography, navigational grids called portolanos, and projection; Professor Hapgood and his team of students and collaborators were able to show that: 1. The map more accurately represented Middle America, Antarctica, and Africa than maps drawn at the time. The existence of an antarctic continent was dismissed during the age of exploration for about three hundred years until it was, apparently, rediscovered. 2. The reason the map was so accurate was because the makers of the map – it was a compilation of many local maps – could accurately compute latitude and longitude, technology absent during the Renaissance and the next couple centuries. 3. The projection(s), or the way the map displayed the continents relative to each other, required trigonometry to account for the spherical surface of the earth. Trigonometry was in use by the Greeks, but not in cartography during the sixteenth century. In second grade I was taught that Columbus discovered the earth was round, and discovered America even though he thought it was India. This book proposes that Columbus had access to an ancient map and was using it to search for land across the Atlantic. He may have even had one identical to the Piri Re’is map, evidenced by a 70 degree tilt in that map of only the islands of the Caribbean. You should read this book, but with a critical mind. The author never considered the Bible as an explanation for his findings, and gives dates for his archaeology and geology inconsistent with the Bible, putting confidence in radioactive dating techniques.)

The Highlander’s Last Song by George MacDonald (beautiful descriptions, some good philosophical things to consider, but don’t read it if you aren’t solid on biblical theology. I love Scotland, and the hero was a wonderful leader. The story shows real progression in each of the characters.)

December:The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager by Thomas Hine (A history of America centered on people between 10 and 20 years old. Deals with economics, morality, media, and education. I enjoyed a sweeping look at US history as well as perspective on what we consider normal for teenagers and adolescence. The author does not have a biblical worldview; import your own into it for some impressive conclusions. A good book, but for adult readers only.)

The Immortal Game by David Shenk (Brilliantly organized, well-chosen information, at a captivating speed; this book traces the history of the world as associated with chess: Islamic Caliphs, the rise of queens in Europe, and artificial intelligence, among many others.)

What did you read? Share in the comments, or link to your website if you have a similar list!

In my review of Family Driven Faith, I think I mentioned wanting everyone in my church to read the book.They would be exposed to new ideas, and I wouldn’t have to do all the explaining and defending.My idealistic vision was of friends and leaders with changed understanding of church.

Today I’m reading No Little People, a collection of essays by Francis Schaeffer.The same thoughts are coming to mind.Earlier this week I read the essay “God’s Work God’s Way.”To me the points exactly contained evangelical Christianity.We want to do God’s work, but instead of looking for biblical directions, we take our corporation-based programs and modify them for church.Or we adopt the evolutionary view of education that is used in the public schools and implement it in our discipleship.We see what is effective for the entertainment industry and we make our “services” more attractive.

Last night I was listening to a sermon entitled, “My People Perish,” by R.C. Sproul, Jr.He argues against adopting the world’s goals.We don’t raise up children to be missionaries so the kingdom will increase.We raise up children to increase the kingdom.I think he’s saying first things first.Our goal is not to take back Harvard or Hollywood, but to serve Jesus Christ and bring Him glory.

A friend was telling me about how God is teaching her about money.She’s being sanctified a little bit at a time.At this point she’s trying to take God’s perspective that money is not the object.He embraced sacrifice, and calls us to, as well.The question is not, “Can I afford that?” or “Is it in my budget?” or even, “Have I set aside money for God first?”The question is does God’s Spirit call your members to hand over money for more clothes, for Pizza Hut pizza, for a coffee or a soda, for a cd, for that concert?

If our lives are going to be radically faith-led, shining brightly in a world of darkness, we have to be different.We can’t put a Christian icing to a worldly practice.

All this to say that this week conditioned me to pull the above applications from their respective situations.I felt the force of No Little People to be sanctification and faith (not sight) because of where I am and how I read.I’m willing to heed every word when I can.It may surprise you, but as a writer I know that most of the time the words we use are not just fillers in between bold-faced headings.We have something to say.

As evidence, I turned to the contents page of No Little People to find a note scribbled there over twenty years ago, I’d think, when my parents were in college.I think it was Mom who wrote “good – about waiting for God’s timing” next to the “God’s Work God’s Way” chapter.She had a very different perspective on the author’s intended application.

Even when interpretation is not subjective, for the force of a book to fall on someone, they have to be thoughtfully reading the words.In a way they must be interacting with the text.

This reminds me of a revelation I had this month.I watched a film production of Cyrano De Bergerac.I could imagine the actors delighting to speak the lines and play the parts.There were twice as many characters as listed in the play, because I was allowed by the staged medium to consider the fictional players in the story as well as the motivations and feelings of the actors portraying them, and how they all interacted.Later I was delighting in Wives and Daughters, Pride and Prejudice, and other films so well done that you are sure the actors are the literary heroes and heroines.But really they are not.In fact they are only able to give in their performance one interpretation of what the author was originally saying.But I can pause these movies and talk for five minutes a frame about what is being said in an expression or a gesture or a muttered comment.Do books have such depth?Imagine approaching a book so engaged that on every page you subconsciously ask the text and yourself: If I were Mr. Darcy (for example), what would I be thinking and feeling?Why did I come?Why do I speak?Why don’t I speak?What do I see?

Perhaps long ago when books were read aloud for entertainment and individuals prided themselves at their skill in doing so, the reader was forced to ask those questions, and so instantly come to a more vivid comprehension of the story.

Thus I have every intention to read a classic piece of literature in that way.I will keep you informed on how it is going.

I saw this idea on another blog, and thought that since I’m so negligent of keeping my own list, I’d try to post for you all what books I read through the year (on this one page) and whether I recommend them. As a matter of fact I have just catalogued all the books in my room like Gretchen and Natalie and YLCF blogged about, and I have over 300 (and a few duplicates to give away!).

This list will be updated as I 1) read more books, and 2) remember more books I already read.

June:The Shaping of Things to Come (a perspective on how the Church could react to the changing culture; definitely can’t endorse all of it; thought-provoking)

The Light of Eidon by Karen Hancock (an enthralling – do you know that word means “enslaving”? – fantasy; mature scenes, violent, theological; the first of a trilogy)

July:Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (one of her later books, some familiar characters, but developed into less extreme versions than the other books. To be honest, I didn’t like this one nearly as much as her other books, but I did find myself relating to some of the conflicts in the story.)

Present Concerns by C.S. Lewis (a collection of many short, easy to read essays written by C.S. Lewis for newspapers and magazines and forwards of books, dealing with politics, philosophy, and issues of the day.)

Basic Essentials: Weather Forecasting by Michael Hodgson (an easy to understand crash course in predicting the next 48 hours’ weather without all the doppler and satellites and other technology. Using cloud observations, wind velocity, and barometric changes, you can get a feel for what is going to happen in the weather. I’m especially fascinated to know what the different clouds mean, and to discover that there are logical reasons connecting how they look, where they are, and what they do.)

At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald (a Christian classic, so I’m told, which influenced both J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. The story of Diamond, a young boy who learns about faith through his friendship with Lady North Wind.)

August:Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (a friend told me this was the best book of the Anne of Green Gables series. I’m not sure, since I read most of the Anne books long ago. The setting is Prince Edward Island during World War I, and in the respect that it revealed what life was like during those oft-overlooked days of history, I greatly appreciated this tale. It is also a nice story, filled with deep characters, as anyone who has read L.M. Montgomery might expect.)

Journey of the Heart by Jeannie Castleberry (The tale of a girl about my age dealing with feeling left behind by older siblings and friends who have husbands while she doesn’t. Through a lot of guidance from practically perfect parents, she learns about her relationship with God and her family, and about not settling for a man about whom God has not given you peace. I have to say that this story is not the best writing I’ve ever read; sometimes it reads like a bullet-point list of what it means to be committed to courtship.)

Epicenter by Joel Rosenberg (A hard-to-classify book explaining the Ezekiel prophecy, world events, and opinions of experts and world leaders that led Joel Rosenberg to write a series of novels recognized as prophetic. I appreciated the grasp he has on worldwide trends, and his emphasis on taking the Bible as a guide even for real-life decisions like drilling for oil in Israel or taking Bibles to the Middle East.)

The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers (a metaphor-charged story of a little girl who, burdened by guilt, turns her village upsidedown looking for someone who, instead of eating her sins once she died, could relieve her of her sins right now. I don’t agree with all of the theology, and the village people seemed to have more than their fair share of horrible sins, but the story was really good and well written.)

September:Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney (a short book reminding me of the gravity of the gospel and the grace remembered when you focus on the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross while we were yet sinners.)

I, Isaac Take Thee, Rebekah by Ravi Zacharias (originally I thought this was a book for married people, but since I am preparing a Sunday school lesson series on the Church as the Bride of Christ I decided to read it. That is not the topic of this book. Ravi writes this application of the story of Isaac and Rebekah in Genesis to teach young people to prepare for or be diligent to work on their marriage. A theme is the will behind marriage. One of the most memorable illustrations is that of Ravi’s own brother who with his parents and aunt arranged his own marriage.)

Waking Rose by Regina Doman (the third in a series of modern retellings of fairy tales. Based on Sleeping Beauty, experience an exciting tale about waiting for love, about redemption, heroes, and the sanctity of life. With ample references to literature, and a Christian worldview, this approximately 300 page-book with a beautiful cover is a great read. I only need to mention that whereas her prior books were not distractingly Catholic, this book has more Catholic references: Mary, praying the rosary, etc.)

Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis (Another great CS Lewis collection of essays. This book has the seeds of most of the ideas you find cunningly presented in his novel. The first one – Weight of Glory, and the last two – Slip of the Tongue and Membership are my favorite, covering the more Christian and less philosophical topics. A good book for underlining.)

Pearl of Beauty compiled by Natalie Nyquist (I read this in one day. It is a collection of classic tales similar to Aesop’s fables in that there is a moral – for young women – to every story. Louisa May Alcott and George MacDonald are both represented. I’d recommend this book, not only because the stories are enchanting, but also because of the study/discussion questions Natalie included. I think it’s a great resource for raising or mentoring young ladies.)

Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings by Charles H. Hapgood (Focuses on the Piri Re’is map discovered in 1929, but compiled in 1513 by a Turkish sailor. Through a discussion of comparative geography, navigational grids called portolanos, and projection; Professor Hapgood and his team of students and collaborators were able to show that: 1. The map more accurately represented Middle America, Antarctica, and Africa than maps drawn at the time. The existence of an antarctic continent was dismissed during the age of exploration for about three hundred years until it was, apparently, rediscovered. 2. The reason the map was so accurate was because the makers of the map – it was a compilation of many local maps – could accurately compute latitude and longitude, technology absent during the Renaissance and the next couple centuries. 3. The projection(s), or the way the map displayed the continents relative to each other, required trigonometry to account for the spherical surface of the earth. Trigonometry was in use by the Greeks, but not in cartography during the sixteenth century. In second grade I was taught that Columbus discovered the earth was round, and discovered America even though he thought it was India. This book proposes that Columbus had access to an ancient map and was using it to search for land across the Atlantic. He may have even had one identical to the Piri Re’is map, evidenced by a 70 degree tilt in that map of only the islands of the Caribbean. You should read this book, but with a critical mind. The author never considered the Bible as an explanation for his findings, and gives dates for his archaeology and geology inconsistent with the Bible, putting confidence in radioactive dating techniques.)

The Highlander’s Last Song by George MacDonald (beautiful descriptions, some good philosophical things to consider, but don’t read it if you aren’t solid on biblical theology. I love Scotland, and the hero was a wonderful leader. The story shows real progression in each of the characters.)

December:

The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager by Thomas Hine (A history of America centered on people between 10 and 20 years old. Deals with economics, morality, media, and education. I enjoyed a sweeping look at US history as well as perspective on what we consider normal for teenagers and adolescence. The author does not have a biblical worldview; import your own into it for some impressive conclusions. A good book, but for adult readers only.)

The Immortal Game by David Shenk (Brilliantly organized, well-chosen information, at a captivating speed; this book traces the history of the world as associated with chess: Islamic Caliphs, the rise of queens in Europe, and artificial intelligence, among many others.)